Landing gear issue leads to plane's belly landing

The Associated Press

Posted:
05/18/2013 02:11:44 AM MDT

Updated:
05/18/2013 04:20:40 PM MDT

Click photo to enlarge

In this image taken from video and provided to WABC TV News by an airport source, emergency personnel spray foam on the fuselage of a US Airways Express commuter plane after it made a belly landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Newark, N.J. The turboprop plane reportedly left Philadelphia shortly before 11 p.m., Friday, and landed safely at Newark with its landing gear retracted at about 1 a.m., Saturday. There were no injuries. MANDATORY CREDIT; NYC OUT

NEWARK, N.J—An airline official says a US Airways Express flight with 34 people aboard was forced to make a belly landing at Newark International Airport after experiencing landing gear trouble. No injuries were reported.

US Airways spokesman Davien Anderson says a turboprop plane that left Philadelphia shortly before 11 p.m. Friday landed safely at Newark with its landing gear retracted at about 1 a.m. Saturday.

Anderson says the flight, being operated by Piedmont Airlines, was carrying 31 passengers and three crew members. He says the plane circled Newark in a holding pattern while working to get the gear down. After several failed attempts, the plane landed on its belly.

Anderson says the passengers were evacuated to the terminal by bus. He says US Airways is cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the incident.